Results of the Project “Capable Community for Business Development” -

Summary of the Project

After eight months of activities in four communities in the Zhytomyr region aimed at fostering a local business environment, the project “Capable Community for Business Development” has yielded the following outcomes.

183 Entrepreneurs Trained and/or Supported, including:
- 114 Women-led Businesses (62%)
- 2 Businesses Led by Internally Displaced Persons
- 1 Social Enterprise

Achievements

4 Training Sessions for Local Government Employees
Focused on local business environment development and investment attraction, these sessions trained 43 local government employees.
4 Two-Day Training Sessions for Entrepreneurs
These trainings in four communities covered the use of cash registers (RRO) by sole proprietors, according to legislative changes, with 89 entrepreneurs participating.
4 Two-Day Training Sessions on Export and Online Trade
Conducted in four communities, these sessions provided 56 entrepreneurs with skills and knowledge to enter international markets.
Additional Project Results
- 19 Entrepreneurs in the region received free consultations on export and online trade.
- 39 Entrepreneurs from Zhytomyr received a comprehensive service for creating logos and product/service catalogs to enhance brand recognition at regional, national, and international levels.
Community Business Profiles Developed
Business profiles were created for the Radomyshl, Malyn, Korostyshiv, and Brusyliv communities, along with a universal methodology for developing such profiles, which could be scaled to other communities in the region and across Ukraine.
Recommendations for Strategic Development Documents
Recommendations were provided for business environment development in the strategic documents of four communities. Custom roadmaps were created for each community, outlining the process for establishing business councils.
Guidelines for Local Government on Business Environment Development
Methodological recommendations were created for local authorities to support local business environment growth.

Key Milestones and First Results

One business has initiated negotiations with a Polish company.
Several entrepreneurs are testing international sales through online marketplaces and have launched social media advertisements.
Entrepreneurs are actively using their new logos and catalogs for signs, branded packaging, and trademark registration.

Moreover, it’s significant that the local governments involved are actively applying the tools for business support and collaboration that were discussed throughout the project.

We extend our gratitude to our communities and entrepreneurs. During this project, we encountered numerous unique stories of entrepreneurs who are advancing their businesses despite various challenges. We also thank GIZ, the Entrepreneurship Development Fund, and the EU4Business program for providing new opportunities for our region’s communities and entrepreneurs.

Project Implementation
The project was implemented by the Zhytomyr Regional Development Agency, commissioned by the “EU4Business: Recovery, Competitiveness, and Internationalization of SMEs” program, co-funded by the European Union and the German government. The grant competition is conducted by the Entrepreneurship Development Fund, with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as the strategic executor of the program. The content of this message is the sole responsibility of the Zhytomyr Regional Development Agency and does not reflect the position of the EU4Business program, GIZ, or the Entrepreneurship Development Fund.

More on Business Education

For more information on grants and opportunities, please click here.

For more information, please contact the Department of Economic Development, Trade and International Cooperation of the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration:25 Mala Berdychivska St., office. 204, or by phone: 0412 (47-44-92, 47-46-32).